Business in Arkansas

We toured a "chip mill" in Conway, Arkansas yesterday. We flew on our corporate jet - I sat in the co-pilot's seat.

When we arrived, I was given a hardhat and earplugs and we climbed this crane and stood behind the operator as he unloaded a log truck in just two bites. He then continued to feed the logs into a drum system with a chipper and --finally ---shooting out the other end of the process are huge streams of tiny chips like you would find in a bag near a BBQ grill. The pile in the first picture is as tall as a two-story building. This plant is not for sale but equipment similar to it is.

.... Hardwoods such as oak, sweet gum, and hickory are chipped to become raw material for copy paper, paper cups, diapers, etc. Pine becomes cardboard and post board.

Our company, Nulyne, is in the pallet business ---but to obtain a steady source of raw material (cut trees brought in by independent loggers on semi-trucks), they are proposing that we enter the chip and sawmill business. The loggers will sell to the company that pays the highest price. Even if we paid the highest price, we would still have parts of that load that we could not use (currently). So....our company is asking for an investment of over a million dollars to vertically integrate and develop the ability to use all parts of the load purchased from the loggers. The various names of logs that might be mixed in a single load are pulpwood, saw logs, mini-wood, post logs etc. and describe the type and/or size of the log. We use mostly mini-wood.

It's been a tough business for the last four years.

Reports by the forestry service and independent surveys are in agreement - there is no lack of hardwood in the Ozark and Ouachita forests as well as the private land in central, southwest, and northwest Arkansas. The national forests must be managed, and that often includes logging operations, (controlled burns are another method).

I love hardwood trees alive, but as long as I know that the forest is sustainable and that there are organizations and processes in place to protect and manage them, I don't mind being in the lumber business.

Kathy and Mo

Everything in life can be explained with quotes from the Kathy and Mo show Parallel Lives(Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney). The show was first broadcast on HBO in 1991.

Circumstances arise every moment where the comedy in a situation is mirrored by the comedy in the show. My VHS tape of the program was so worn that it simply would not play anymore. Luckily, the show was finally released on DVD. The Kathy and Mo show was the very first thing I ever recorded on my new TiVo.

On picking the color of human skin: "Tans, and reds, and don't you love that olive?" then: "White?....isn't that a little bland? We'll have to keep an eye on them."

"Choices, Choices, Choices"

"Messy's good!"

"Am I you, are you me? Are we we?"

"Don't worry about us, we fit in anywhere!"

"I'd like a white-wine spritzer please!"

"Spinning, Spinning, Spinning, Spinning."

To compliment someone: "you look verryy verry pretty tonight!"

When travelling, start singing: "On the road again......, I just can't wait to get on the road again."

If you are bombarded by product ads: "I don't want to smell fresh as a daisy!"

Upon recalling your misguided youth: "I lied....I lied a lot."

If you are talking to your best girlfriends: "Sistah-Woman-Sistah."

"I had a three-way....................................I think."

Life's not so bad.............except for those IceCapades."

move from your intelligence, not from your will.....

Today, my teacher told us to move from our intelligence and not from our will. I'm sure her teacher shared this wisdom and she chose to pass it on.....as I am passing it on here.

It sums up my practice in one sentence.

How often do we move from our will? All day, every day?

Well, let's see - the alarm clock goes off at 6 something (while it is still dark), and I will myself to roll over and hit the snooze button. Let me tell you that my body is not ready to crawl out of a warm bed on a cold morning.....I will it to.

I will myself some mornings to be patient and compassionate with other drivers on my way to work.....wishing them well, and breathing.

I will myself to stop and sit up tall and take a deep breath several times as I sit at my computer screen . Over and over and over again.

I will myself to breathe through painful back spasms.....which are occurring at least once per day now and sometimes twice (sigh), usually between my arrival at work and the lunch hour.

I willfully sit in my chair all day, drive all day, ride in a plane all day, go to meetings all day, on many days....

When do I get a chance to move from my intelligence (or if it makes more sense, from my breath and not my body)?

In yoga of course. Breathing into a pose, not forcing myself into it. Listening inward, not willing some action to occur, but letting it just happen.

In yoga I can do this.

Estes Park Colorado

I took my spirit to the rocks

And laid it by the stream

I asked my question,

Then I slept.

And this is what I dreamed:

A full moon rising over pines

That lit the shore like day

A lover's voice

A raging fire

My question swept away.

Spontaneous Yoga

Something spontaneous happened in our Yoga II class last night. The center is located at 9th and Edgemoor, surrounded by grass and trees, walking paths, tennis courts, a pool and a playground. The yoga room is at the end of a hallway next to the playground, and has floor-to-ceiling windows on two full sides. The blinds are partially lowered, but the glass goes all the way to the floor and we usually leave it open. Small children will sometimes peek in from outside, as the view into the room is about eye-level for them. They are not self-conscious about cupping their hands around their eyes, looking in, and watching our movements. I face the students and the windows; and will often wave at these youngsters (most wave back, a bit shyly....but they wave :).

Last night, a group of six or seven kids, around ages 4 -11 not only looked in.....they began to mimic our movements......so I went with it. I had all five students plus myself turn around, line up our mats, and face the windows.........and we had a yoga class for the kids. They stayed with us for 30 minutes! They did everything we did: knees to chest, cat/cow, spinal balance, mountain pose, tree, forward bends, on and on.....

It was so much fun.......and

what a lesson......

They smiled and they laughed, and they took turns acting silly. I could tell that they were exploring the postures, and they paid attention. It was freedom of movement - organic - unforced - a little rough, sure...but the joyous spirit was there....

We eventually lost their attention and they drifted off.....but they left this memory behind. The wonder and curiosity that children have is such a great reminder for us all.

Namaste,

Cindy

My Happy Place

Sunrise

Lost Bridge Village, Beaver Lake

Northwest Arkansas, USA

July 2007

Balloon Crew

Labor Day Weekend:

Was able to get up very early to help crew for a hot air balloon ride:

Several misconceptions I had:

1. The balloon does not just inflate with hot air. There is a cold inflate first with a huge fan and then the burn takes over and lifts the fabric.

2. There is more than one propane tank.

3. The balloon does not rise straight up and then float with the wind. The pilot can drift almost motionless near the ground. The ride can last over an hour, gently rising and falling as the pilot brushes the tops of trees and then hovers near the ground again (wind conditions just right of course).

And then they were off!

taking it on.....or August was for teaching.....

August was for teaching...

My introduction to the city's premier fitness club came in May with a weekend seminar. As I entered the yoga studio my heart was light, for this was a beautiful space. The warm hardwood floors, the prop room full of equipment, and a stereo system with speakers high above the mirrored walls - these spoke to me about attention to detail and invited me to practice.

I gave my business card to the director and left thinking "well that was fun." Two days later, I was in negotiations to begin teaching at the club! I left thinking "well they must really need teachers!"

On May 22, my first class began at 5:45 p.m. Students strolled in for the next ten minutes. What was billed as a restorative class was going to be a little more than just supported poses on the floor. I had been to class with three of the club's current teachers, and in those classes I realized that this club was a little more fitness oriented than mind/body practice oriented. The students seemed to want a work-out even in the restorative format. I saw someone come out of final relaxation and do ab crunches. I was astounded -but said nothing.

My self-doubt grew as I attempted to teach a Level 1/2 class the next week. During the first month, I questioned whether or not I was "fit" enough to be teaching there. I questioned whether or not the students were getting any yoga. I knew they were getting a work-out, but were they getting any yoga? Doubts, and more doubts....discussed endlessly with myself, my journal, my friends, and most of all -my teachers.

By the second month I had settled in - at one point, I taught seven hours in a single week. I was really enjoying the experience - letting a spontaneous teaching flow from me in the more advanced classes. I was starting to dread the decision I knew I had to make. Here was my dilemma: I was already teaching at a local rec center, but this fitness club maintained a "no compete" policy. I was able to circumvent this rule, but only through August. Once the summer (and the rec center session) was over, I was going to have to choose.

I chose the rec center. I told the directors of both locations what I had decided. One was happy, and one was not. My last class at the fitness club was August 21st. This was 90 days of teaching experience that I will cherish forever.

My last class was a restorative (read gentle), and it turned out so good -smooth, (bitter)sweet, and poignant. We used bolsters and blocks and straps and blankets. I shared yoga, I played well-suited music, and I spoke of the inevitability of change (the change of seasons is a reminder that change comes -even if we do not want it to). Hopefully everyone felt as good as I did when class was over. It is said that sometimes the teaching is as much for the teacher as for the student.

Namaste.

Skydiving in Mt. Vernon, Missouri

In July 2007 the Wimber Family Reunion was at Beaver Lake in North West Arkansas. 14 family members spanning 4 generations, ranging in age from 5 to 86, from Modesto, CA, Hurst, TX, Wichita, Kansas and guests from North Little Rock, AR met at a rental house in Lost Bridge Village.





One highlight of the reunion week was a day trip to Mt. Vernon Missouri, where six of us went skydiving. Our tandem jump professional was Matt. The whole crew, from pilot to packer, was very professional. The plane was a tiny Cessna 210. We jumped from 10,000 feet which took about 15 minutes of air travel. The first 5,000 feet was freefall, one minute's worth. The next 5 minutes was "under canopy". You would not believe how quiet it is under canopy.

Age range of the jumpers: 34 to 57.

Cost: $200 (included video and still pictures too!)

See more at:

http://www.freefallexpress.com/

My associates

Here is my office staff. My "work family". The staff of CGF Industries.

I've worked with some of these people since the 80's (back in our banking days). We have a long history. I feel that we compliment each other. Our strengths mesh well. It's a good job, and I'm lucky to have it.

submission to Newsweek's "My Turn"

Finding Yoga

One day I woke up and I was in my 40’s. After eighteen years of professional accounting –in a cubicle, sitting in a chair, staring at a computer screen, I looked in the mirror at what I had become. Those years had taken their toll….on my posture, my flexibility, the shape of my body, and my feeling of health and well-being. Slightly overweight, and with little flexibility or stamina left from my younger days, I wanted to try an activity that would feel good as well as providing health benefits. I wanted an activity without the eventual knee, hip, or foot pain of running around a track or pounding away on treadmills. I needed to avoid the potential injuries of team sports like softball or basketball (been there, done that). Although I had been walking regularly, riding my bike during the nice parts of the year (I live in Kansas), and sometimes swimming indoors (oh, those strong chemicals), it wasn’t enough for me.

I was intimidated by my first yoga class. I certainly didn’t look like a “yogi”. I didn’t feel like I belonged with those “pretzel-like people”, and yet…..the practice felt good! I just kept going back. My teachers were very kind. I tried to pay attention to their instructions – quickly deciding that it didn’t matter what I looked like in that wall-to-wall, and floor-to-ceiling mirror, what I wore, or what other people could do with their bodies that I couldn’t. I resolved to make yoga really count for something. This was an hour to concentrate on myself and forget about what I had to do when class was over. That was the main message – to try and be present to what my body was saying, listen to it and let it tell me what to do, what I needed, where attention and breath should flow.

One of the first things I noticed was that I was a bit sore the day after I didn’t practice. I just loved my teachers at our local YMCA’s, so by halfway through the first year I was going to classes whenever I could squeeze them into my schedule. It seemed like I had more energy than I remember having in years. This new “source” of energy spilled over into the rest of my life.

I noticed that I was more optimistic, calmer, and less stressed. My close friends noticed too, and commented. My relationships improved. After the first year of practice, I found I could concentrate on deliberate breathing, and try to control my physical reactions to external influences (think busy highways at 7:30 a.m. with angry/impatient drivers jockeying for position….or surly clerks at retail stores). I sit up straighter and live more in the moment. I am more patient. I smile more. I sought ways to serve my community and found them. I am more generous with my time. I am happier.

I stopped suffering from low back pain. My body changed. I gained strength, improving both my balance and my flexibility. Some poses came more easily. Some are just as challenging as the first time I tried them. But that’s okay. The real difference came when I changed how I treated myself– when I tried to stop the sometimes constant negative self-talk we inflict on ourselves (and this may take the rest of my life to achieve). The biggest effect was inside. I stopped being at war with myself.

I subscribed to magazines and newsletters. I found pictures of unbelievably beautiful poses, practical advice, and essays on such topics as meditation. A thought-provoking quote from a leading online magazine resonated with me (they were answering a question from a reader who smoked). It said “Smoking will not interfere with your yoga, but yoga will interfere with your smoking.” This is how I started to feel about certain things (caffeine, alcohol, junk food, angry drivers, constant complaining, etc.). My yoga practice was influencing my daily life.

By the end of that first year I was losing weight. When you hear students say that they lose weight by practicing yoga, it’s probably because they are more mindful and aware of what, and when they eat. It’s not just the physical exertion of a moderately active class but the awareness that your practice will bring. It just seemed easier to like, and take care of myself once I started practicing yoga. You might find you develop a respect and appreciation for your body that might have been missing or pushed below the surface.

I was able to e-mail my teachers. They not only had the patience to listen, they were often kind enough to answer - discussing books and articles, recommending music and websites, passing along tips. Without their knowledge, guidance, and personal attention, I would not have a yoga practice today. My teachers each shared their own style of yoga with me. I thank them for showing me so many things and opening so many doors. They have enriched my life in ways that (to my surprise and delight) I am still discovering.

I am happy to conclude by saying that not only do I have a satisfying personal yoga practice today, but a wonderful group of students at a local recreation center that kindly and generously allow me to be their yoga teacher every Thursday night.

Meditations from the Mat quote

Students come to me with two types of problems. Lingering or chronic physical issues and/or sports injuries.........and emotional issues (divorce, job-difficulties, relationship problems or just feeling empty and sad). Having reached a point in my life where I've experienced these things for myself, I can only show them compassion and offer the same answer to both problems:

Learn what you can do differently from now on, and believe in the power of the universe to help you heal.

Paraphrased from "Meditations from the Mat"

March yoga class quiz...

I had a chance to take some yoga classes from various teachers around the city in March 2007.


1) Let's say a student (Sally) was able to sit cross-legged, and completely fold forward onto the floor. Let's say that most of the other students could not go that far into the pose. If you were the teacher, which of the following would you NOT want to say:


a. "Folks that are more flexible like Sally are feeling this pose in their own way, while the rest of us are getting the same benefit to this stretch even if we cannot fold forward as far.....".

b. "Look at Sally, a very flexible student, over there not feeling a thing (she does this all the time because she teaches yoga)."

c. "Yoga is a journey, not a destination. Only go as far as you can today, tomorrow may be different. Search for the sensation of creating length in this stretch and keep breathing! If you don't fold forward very far, it's okay."



2) Let's say another teacher is demonstrating a seated forward bend with legs extended. Which of the following verbal cues would be better?:

a) Fold forward, reach out, grab your toes and pull your chest through your upper arms.

b) Reach out for your toes. If you can't reach your toes, use a strap.

c) As we gently fold forward, hinging from our hips, we can reach out to take hold of our toes. Lengthen the spine, without forcing or pulling ourselves forward. Think about lifting our hearts as we extend through the crown of our heads.


3) Let's say that you are in a class working on a challenging pose. What would you like to hear the teacher say?

a) "This is a hard pose. Don't worry if you can't do it. Try it anyway".

b) "Find the place where you feel challenged yet successful in this pose. There is a part of it that you can do if you focus and concentrate on your breath.

c) "Level 3, raise one leg and then one arm."


All three situations actually happened this month - in classes with teachers of various levels of experience. As the student, I was reminded to follow my instincts, listen to my body, and remember my training.

Namaste, Cindy

(b) (c) (b)

Viva Las Vegas....

Had one of those once in a lifetime weekends in Las Vegas this year. When we left Kansas, it was overcast, windy and 6 degrees. When we landed in Vegas it was sunny, calm and 74!

President's Day weekend, with the NBA All Star Game in town, the Strip was so busy that it took an hour to go a mile in a cab-assuming you could even get one (so we walked everywhere).

Hit a progressive jackpot on a .25 slot machine for $6,788. Rooms and meals comped, saw a fantastic show, played roulette - Beth and I both boxed # 29 - it hit. I split three 8's - won the hand, then got three blackjacks in a row. Bethie played $ 10 on 0/00 (a $170 payout) four different times.....and on and on. Dream weekend. Who-da' thunk?

Viva Las Vegas................

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head."H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Speak kindly.......

How to eat a truffle......

How to Eat a Truffle....
From "Vosges --Haut Chocolat"

See it. There should be a glossy shine to the truffle, this shows a good temper, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cacao mass.

Lick it. Licking the truffle gives a hint of what is to come. A teaser.

Snap it. Quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. If the chocolate is stored at ideal conditions between 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit when you take a bite you should hear a crisp, snap breaking through the outside to reach the creamy ganache inside.

Taste it. We always like to bite the truffle in two bites. In the first bite you are just getting to know the truffle and in the second, you delve deeper, searching out the flavors and the nuances. You become immersed into the experience of the chocolate, your mouth and the sensations. The taste should have a long lingering finish.

Two White Trash Bags by the Side of the Road

Two White Trash Bags by the Side of the Road

Sarah

It was late when he showed up….his car steaming and dripping in the cold rain. Sarah was awake, listening for the slam of the door, so distinctive that no other car she had ever heard made the exact same clunking noise. When she heard it, every hair on her body seemed to wake up. She shivered as the heater came on and started to blow into the room. “Here we go” she thought.

2. Corky

Corky paused before getting out of the car. Except for his breathing, the only noise was a ticking sound from the engine. Leather creaked as he shifted his weight and pushed against the driver’s door. Last summer he had taken a jack to it so that it closed right. Now the door made a clunking noise when it shut. Opening it required Corky to shift his shoulder and lean just right to pop the catch. Once out of the car, he approached the house which was almost completely hidden behind massive oak trees. He thought to himself that it was a bit like being in church. The huge trees muffled noise and gently whispered above him. Although the leaves were brown and wet, they would not fall to the ground until spring. Corky loved oak trees.

He did not need a key; the front door was already open.

Sarah

When Sarah and Jay started the bookstore, they had little expectation of making a profit; but they hoped to break-even the first couple of years. The economy was booming, but they knew that a start-up business does poorly until it’s established. They tightened their belts and made the best of things, eating home grown vegetables, using coupons, wearing last year’s clothes and walking everywhere they could. Then they disconnected the cable, gave up the cell phone, and stopped the paper. It was not enough. The business seemed to be a hungry animal, chewing up most of their savings and even eating into their small retirement fund. They continued to hope, working 70 hours a week, streamlining inventory, and advertising as much as possible.

One day when Sarah arrived home, the house didn’t just seem empty, it seemed abandoned. A stack of paper was in the middle of the desk and things looked out of place. It wasn’t long before she discovered that Jay was gone…and with him the rest of the savings account, anything of value in the house, and the car. The foreclosure notices, credit card statements, and installment loan coupon books stared at her from where he had left them.

Sarah left town the next day.


Corky

Corky set his bag on the table inside of the doorway and started up the stairs in the dark. Lovemaking was first on the agenda; then dinner and wine by candlelight after. His pulse quickened as he climbed the stairs, closer and closer to the room at the end of the hall. He had tried to follow the directions given to him by phone earlier in the day and had finally arrived about an hour later than he planned. At last he reached the door and paused for just a second to take a deep breath. He slowly pushed it open and entered the room. She was there, in bed, gauze curtains barely hiding the sight of her: beautiful......and waiting. By the time he reached the bed, he was undressed as well.

Sarah

Sarah met Corky in the spring. As she tried to pinpoint the exact date, all she could think about was spring. She remembered the earth smelling musty and damp, the feeling of freedom as she started life over in a new place with new optimism. Even a simple walk in the evening was exciting as she shed her old life and the pain from Jay’s betrayal started to fade. The sign on the front of the building said “Counter Help Wanted” so she went inside the shop.

When she first saw Corky, she saw only his butt sticking out from under the hood of a car. When the rest of him emerged, she was startled. Such intense blue eyes! He stared at her and she stared back at him. What followed was an affair so intense that the two of them stopped every other activity to be with each other. Now, six months later, the passion was cooling off like the weather. They had started meeting each other in unusual places to keep the excitement high. This latest place was Sarah’s idea. While house-hunting, she had unlocked a window in the utility room of one really nice house she had visited. She and Corky would be back later for a private tour.

Corky

Dinner was served late of course. The food wasn’t as good at 4:00 in the morning, but the lovers did not care. By 6:00 a.m. they had cleaned up the mess, erasing all signs that they had been in the house. Now they were loading Corky’s car; smiling at each other as they stowed their bags in the back seat.

By 7:30 a.m. it started to rain and the road turned icy. At 7:47 a.m. Corky lost control of the Plymouth and it rolled off the interstate, down into the ditch, flipped over twice, and landed on its top. By the time the state troopers arrived, both passengers were already dead. The radio was still on - draining the last of the battery. A local station was playing a song called “One in a Million, Chance of a Lifetime”, and the smell of gasoline hung heavy in the cold air.


Bob

The tow truck rumbled along the side of the highway and then parked. Bob got ready to work his fourth accident of the morning. He looked down at the Plymouth and said under his breath: “What a bummer, that’s a nice ride”. He got right to the task and soon had the car taken care of. A trooper handed him two white trash bags he said he found on the side of the road. “What’s in those?” asked Bob. “I don’t know.” said the trooper, “I think they belong with the car. Maybe they fell out when the car flipped over.”

Bob opened the trash bags and saw leftovers, an empty wine bottle, sheets, pillowcases and a few candle stubs. “Someone must have had a party” he thought, as he tossed the bags into the tow truck and drove away.

The Banana Spider in the Window

The Banana Spider in the Window

by
Cynthia Ascanio

The banana spider crawled into the cowboy boot just after midnight. Jacky was sound asleep and oblivious to the event.

Jacky’s week on the island was over and what a week it had turned out to be!

Through each weapons search at the airport, flight delays, and greasy fast food, she kept telling herself “I will have a good vacation, I will. I deserve to get away and have some fun, I do.” When she finally arrived at her destination (17 hours later than planned) a pretty dark-haired girl smiled and motioned for her to duck her head to accept the wreath of flowers placed around her neck. From that point forward, things started to go right for Jacky Johnson.

Jacky scuba-dived, dined on expertly prepared meals fresh from the sea, drank all the wine she wanted, and slept late every day. She started to turn brown from the sun. By the sixth day, she had lost track of time (no watch), the ups and downs of the stock market (no TV), and her carefully planned budget (plastic was so easy to use!).

In an attempt to squeeze the most out of her time on the island, Jacky signed up for a horseback ride by the ocean. She bought a cheap pair of boots, a straw hat, and a red bandana. Her knees hurt when the ride was over, but she enjoyed it more than she thought she would. What took Jacky by surprise was how tired she felt after dinner. She fell into bed exhausted and slept her last night away without dreaming or waking.

The next morning, Jacky called room service and started to pack her things. She looked at the cheap boots (already cracked where they bent into the stirrup), and considered leaving them behind, but decided at the last minute to take them home in the duffel bag.

Back to her everyday life, Jacky unpacked and did laundry. The boots ended up in the back of the closet. She downloaded her pictures and showed everyone at work how much fun she had on vacation.

The banana spider was no longer dormant. Tucked into the toe of one cowboy boot, she spun a protective web and slept. She got her name from the banana shaped mark where her deadly poison was produced, just below her head. She laid her eggs and then crawled out of the boot, making her way to the window next to the king-size bed in the master bedroom.

Summer ended and Jacky needed to air the house. She took a few days off and worked her way through the house ending up in the bedroom. She spent a few minutes pulling back curtains and raising blinds before using a duster, (one of those colorful static-cling kind) on the sill.

Something landed on Jacky’s hand and she looked down in visceral horror at a large green spider. In the next instant the banana spider bit Jacky in the webbing between her thumb and first finger.

Jacky was dead in about five minutes, paralyzed, unable to move or cry out. She died next to the bed, within reach of the telephone, no longer able to breathe in and out.

The offspring of the banana spider, just hatched that morning, smelled death and filed out of the closet (all 147 of them), to investigate.

The end.